Atomic Bomb Dome

Discover

About Atomic Bomb Dome

The Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome) is the ruin of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, a brick-and-concrete building with a copper dome, designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel and completed in 1915. It stood on the banks of the Motoyasu River, beside the Aioi Bridge, and hosted exhibitions of regional products.

On the morning of August 6, 1945, the bomb detonated in the air at about 600 meters above ground, almost directly above the building. The blast came from above, the central walls remained standing and the steel skeleton of the dome survived, while almost all the surrounding buildings were destroyed. Everyone who was inside died.

After the war, opinions were divided about the ruin: part of the city wanted it demolished. In 1966, the prefectural government decided to preserve it as it was, and it has undergone periodic reinforcement work since. In 1996 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as a symbol of the destruction caused by the bomb and of the effort for peace.

The interior is closed, and the Dome is viewed from the outside, from the sidewalks and the riverside park, with explanatory plaques. The T-shaped Aioi Bridge next to it is believed to have been the aiming point of the attack. At night the ruin is illuminated, and its reflection in the river can be seen from the Peace Memorial Park on the opposite bank.